Son of PAC chairman set to top Kilkenny City East poll

The son of the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Deputy John McGuinness looks set to top the poll in his electoral area.

Andrew McGuinness (Fianna Fáil) is set to top the poll in Kilkenny City East, according to final tally figures.

According to tallies, it looks like Fianna Fail could win 12 of 24 council seats in Kilkenny with an overall vote in the region of 45%.

Peter 'Chap' Cleere, another Fianna Fáil candidate, is coming in second place with over 900 first preference votes.

Other candidates who are likely to get elected in Kilkenny City East are Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael), Tommy Prendergast (Labour) and Michael Doyle (FG).

Meanwhile, according to tallies at the Kilkenny Count Centre, Labour councillor Maurice Shortall (Labour) is expected to top the poll in North Kilkenny bucking national trends with (16.3%) of the vote.

The Castlecomer-based councillor is expected to top the poll in the North of the county.

The second seat is expected to go to Mary Hilda Kavanagh (FG) (13.8%) following by Pat Fitzpatrick (11.7%) and Pat Millea (10.4%) with the final seat likely to Michael McCarthy (FF).

In Kilkenny City West Fianna Fail Councillor Matt Doran (FF) is comfortably expected to top the poll followed by his party colleague Joe Malone (FF).

Councillor Malcolm Noonan (Green Party), Cllr Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin), Cllr David Fitzgerald (FG) and Cllr Pat McKee (FF) are all expected to be elected in Kilkenny City West.

Counting is expected to begin in the next hour on the final electoral area of Piltown with the first official count expected before 6pm.